Abanda- Ando, (O/R) 29, GNA – Four hundred and seventy (470) farmers have planted 18,800 improved cashew seedlings in 27 communities in eight districts of five regions of Bono, Bono East, Savanna, Volta and Oti regions.
The Districts include; Wenchi, Tano north, Tain, Kintampo South, Nkoranza North, Bole, Sogakope and Nkwanta South Districts.
Some of the communities are; Obanda Ando, Pusupu, Shaire, Nyambong and Gekong in Nkwanta South District, Heko, Horkpo, Adenu in Sogakope Districts amongst others.
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is an American Non-Government Organization (NGO) dedicated to agriculture and economic development and helps to improve varieties and diversification of production and storage and also supports in the development of farmers ‘and holders’ organizations as well as establishing links with the market.
Mr. Issahaku Fatawu Gbambegu, Programme Officer of Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture announced this when he briefed the Media on the project at Obanda Ando at Nkwanta South District of Oti Region.
Mr. Issahaku said the five-year West African Cashew Project (Pro-cashew), funded by USDA and implemented by CNFA focused on cashew producers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Iviore, Ghana, and Nigeria.
He reiterated that in its bid to make progress, the project supplied 18,800 improved seedlings to 470 farmers across the beneficiary regions, districts and communities and each farmer received a total of 40 improved seedlings to plant on an acre land.
He said the authorities at the intervention districts on behalf of the beneficiary farmers thanked the project for the noble venture and pleaded for more support for cashew farmers in their districts.
He said they pledged to collaborate with the project to ensure that the farmers reaped the full benefit of the project.
Mr. Issahaku said a beneficiary from Bole District Mr. Saaka Mbema who was originally working on galamsey pit could not hide his joy for the support and that the support for them to cope with life after their disengagement from galamsey was great.
Mr. Eleazer Tackie the Country Representative of CNFA – Pro cashew project pledged his outfit’s continuous support to the beneficiary farmers with CNFA Pro cashew for free seedlings distribution to them and his organization would expand the project to cover other regions in the country.
He said the project would build the capacity of cashew farmers to rehabilitate and maintain their cashew farms.
GNA